Oregon Public Broadcasting

Social networking, blogging and internet video tools have become so simple that even a fifth grader can use them. 

In fact, students that young are using them and in some cases turning out pages more polished and professional than us grown-ups. 

Correspondent Tom Banse paid a visit to some young and talented bloggers and product reviewers in Redmond, Washington.  He reports on the promise and peril companies face in a world where anyone with a website can be a critic.

A surefire way to make yourself feel old and behind the times is to visit the headquarters of OmniTechNews.net. 

Lucas Reif (on left), Robert Clarke, and Carson Fujisaki (far right) are the founders of OmniTechNews.net.

That would be the cramped bedroom of 12-year-old Robert Clarke.  He and two elementary school pals are taping their latest video podcast product review.

Sound [taping in bedroom]: "...Start in three, two, one.  -- Hello, my name is Lucas.  Welcome to show 46 of OmniTechNews."

The pint-sized host is in T-shirt and shorts.  He smoothly and confidently runs through the pros and cons of some new headphones from the company Skullcandy.

Lucas Reif: "I would give these headphones a solid 6 out of 10...."

Two and half minutes later, it's a wrap.

Robert Clarke, directin: "...That was great, thanks Lucas.  It's good that you gave them an honest rating..."

These internet videos routinely draw a couple hundred views.  Viewership occasionally spikes into the thousands.  Not bad for an enterprise powered by weeding and babysitting money and Carson Fujisaki's $2 a week allowance.

Carson Fujisaki: "I think we just did it for fun at the time. Just because it was something we like to do. Then we definitely started getting a lot more popular and started adding members to the team."

Lucas Reif: "We said, wow, this is really taking off.  We need to get serious.  It has completely turned into a really big thing. I mean like companies are approaching us and you're interviewing us."

The boys get advice from one dad who works for Microsoft.  But Lucas' mom Jennifer Reif swears grownups are not pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Jennifer Reif: "I really am the parent telling my child to turn the computer off and go outside and play."

The parents of this trio ask themselves the same question I ask; is this the new normal?  Are we in an age where any kid with a digital video camera can produce their own TV show?  The answer is yes, according to online entrepreneur Roberto Hoyos of Bothell, Washington.

Roberto Hoyos: "This is how it is now, you know.  Everybody has the tools to put their message out. You have to give them the equal attention you would to somebody that works at ABC or something like that."

Hoyos founded a small company that makes throw pillows bearing computer icons.  He says he goes online multiple times a day to search for mentions of his company or products. 

Throwboy has no advertising budget.  So the 27-year-old owner uses social networking tools to engage with customers or bloggers who might promote his quirky pillows.

Among them, the youngsters from OmniTechNews.  They showed up with a mother in tow to interview Hoyos.  The business owner treated them dead seriously.

Roberto Hoyos: "What they are doing is almost like when people go, 'Hey, let's go play store' or 'Hey, let's play news reporter today.'  But now you can make it into a real thing.  People can actually see it.  And people can subscribe to it and people can click on your advertisements and all sorts of things. You can actually make money off of it."

Hoyos finds this flattened world much more "exciting" than threatening. 

The 11 and 12-year-olds at OmniTechNews don't feel sorry for businesses still getting used to the cacophony of unknown, uncredentialed critics.  Lucas Reif is aware of the variable quality of web media out there.

Lucas Reif: "I think that we're definitely trying to be professional in what we do. People who do this individually down in their basement, I think they need to up the game because there are a lot of other people out there who do the same stuff."

Perhaps in a sign of things to come, one of the tech kids' grade school teachers asked when he could buy stock in the nascent enterprise.

Onlline:

OmniTechNews

OmniTechNews on YouTube

Throwboy Pillows blog